


Size Does Matter (On Occasion)

by HermineKurotowa



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Dragon!Jared, Hurt Jensen, M/M, Protective Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 03:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16736217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermineKurotowa/pseuds/HermineKurotowa
Summary: The first impression is important.Jared's a young dragon. He has been lonely for a long time, but he'd never thought he'd meet his mate when stuck in a McDonald's bag.





	Size Does Matter (On Occasion)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [J2_reversebang](https://j2-reversebang.livejournal.com). Inspired by [jdl71](https://jdl71.livejournal.com/)'s wonderful art that you can find [here](https://jdl71.livejournal.com/89338.html), go and leave her some love for being talented and brilliant.
> 
> Betaed by [jj1564](https://jj1564.livejournal.com/). Thank you so much, honey! 
> 
> All remaining mistakes are my own and I'm going to keep them. Besides, you'd know if I owned a dragon.

 

 

It's embarrassing.

Jared's powerful species is very competitive, always fighting for something like housing, mates or jobs. He thinks it's stupid to bare his teeth threateningly when he can charm his way through life, but he still knows how to stand his ground if need be.

He's a red-blooded male in his prime, only two hundred and thirty-six years old _(in ten months)_ which is still young for his species, leaving his teenage years behind. He's tall and handsome and just put another rival to flight, defending his territory.

The dragon he defeated was older and smaller than him, but muscular and agile. Jared didn't grind out his territory beating his brothers just to lose it to an old geezer, but now he's incapacitated. His boss will throw a fit if Jared calls in sick on Monday.

It was a fierce fight. Jared walked away, or more like hobbled off, with a nasty gash on his thigh and a couple of broken ribs, but his opponent looked the worse for wear when he finally admitted defeat and slinked off into the woods.

However, Jared had endured worse injuries growing up, roughhousing and scrambling with his brothers, and fighting competitors and friends.

He's stuck now, though, which is too embarrassing.

Since his injuries prevent him from hunting _(the things he would do for a juicy little mouse!)_ , he has to make do with the scraps he finds scattered around the observation point's parking lot. It's not nearly enough to be filling.

He was munching on a half-eaten sandwich when a smell hit his olfactory center – greasy and delicious.

Scenting the air, he soon found the smell's origin – a McDonald's bag at the lot's edge, thrown away by careless humans, and Jared never was happier about pollution than in that moment.

Licking his lips in anticipation, he started hobbling towards his meal.

There was a rat ( _huge nasty beast_ ) circling the bag, and Jared was limping as fast as he could, growling and raising his hackles in order to look bigger.

The rat stopped in its tracks, looking at Jared _(powerful and fierce)_ and obviously pondering its chances in a fight. Another growl, though, made it rethink and turn to flee into the brambles.

Popping his head into the carrier bag, Jared found that his loot was a half of a quarter pounder and a whole bunch of fries. He had to work his way around paper napkins and a plastic bag, but soon, he was munching away happily.

Until the sound of tires on gravel made his hackles rise. Someone was driving onto the parking lot.

_Dammit._

The spikes on his neck got tangled in the plastic bag, and trying to untangle himself in panic only got the bag to tighten even more around him.

This is where he is now, stuck in a plastic bag inside another paper bag, daubed with fast food condiments and grease, and his panicked breathing makes fries prod against his nose.

This is embarrassing. This is _so_ embarrassing.

Footsteps are approaching.

Frantically, Jared tries to get free from his confinement once more, to no avail though.

And then there are hands seizing him around his stomach and lifting him.

Jared squeaks in shock.

He will deny making this noise until his dying day because he's a proud male, an adult, and he should _not to be lifted by a stupid human!_

To add insult to injury, the person cradles Jared against a firm chest, holding him with one hand and petting him with the other. Jared can feel the other's heart beating through his scales, but it's the voice that makes him cease his struggles.

“Shhh, don't worry, pretty boy. I'll get you out in no time.”

The voice is nice, deep and soft _(soothing),_ distinctly male. It's cooing and crooning, telling him how pretty and good he is. That's nothing new, Jared knows how pretty he is, his scales are all shades of brown and gold, with a shimmer of green.

Jared just lets the voice wash over him while nimble fingers untangle wrapping materials and paper napkins.

When he's finally free, Jared's blinking against the light until his eyes adjust, and he can see what he's staring at.

The stranger has the greenest _(most beautiful)_ eyes Jared's ever seen. There's a bit of stubble on his cheeks and chin, and his dirty blond hair is artfully tousled. It's a pretty handsome _(drop-dead gorgeous)_ face.

Jared's mouth opens on its own, dropping the last of the fries that he somehow managed to hold onto. Unsuccessfully chasing after it, he sees his lunch tumbling to the ground. _Dammit._

“Oh, you're hungry?” The man shifts Jared in his arms. The thought that Jared's size and weight makes the human struggle to hold him is quite uplifting, though. Just to make sure he isn't dropped, Jared's tail coils around the man's waist.

“And you're injured? Poor boy.”

Ah yes, the gash in his thigh, he completely forgot about it during his struggling. Now that he's reminded, though, Jared feels a quite painful throbbing in his leg.

“You're lucky my cousin had a bearded dragon when he was a child, and I learned a lot from him. Did you run away from your owner?”

Jared's outraged. A _bearded_ dragon! _He's not a pet!_ He's a proud and mighty _dragon,_ his species used to roam the earth and fill humans with terror. Until his ancestors decided to go into hiding, disappearing right among those very creatures that used to quake with fear of them.

But those soft fingers feel nice on his back and Jared can't help but purr. It's a thing only the little ones do when they feel safe and content, so it's embarrassing that Jared, who's been grown-up for fifty years, makes this kind of noise.

Then he's wrapped in a soft, loose-knit cardigan, and put into a cardboard box the human pulled out of his car's trunk. Riding shotgun, he feels full enough to get tired, so he curls up into a tight ball under the cardigan's warming material and soon falls asleep.

The human's home is nice, clearly only used at the weekends; a log cabin situated at a lake, the interior designed to be cozy and welcoming. The picture window in the living room faces west over the waters, and there's a huge fireplace promising warmth on chilly nights.

Jared's claws click on the hardwood floor as he wanders around, sniffing at the furniture and trying to make his way to the door without drawing attention. His leg's wrapped in gauze, the wound cleaned and already mending.

“Oh no, you don't.”

Human grasps Jared, lifting him with a huff and carrying him into the kitchen. Jared tries not to be pleased at the feeling of those strong freckled arms around his middle.

There's a plate on the floor with a huge pile of meat that had been defrosted just a few minutes ago, and Jared is put down in front of it.

It's ground beef and it smells mouth-watering, even though it looks a bit dry at the surface. Human doesn't seem to be a great cook, but Jared takes what he can get. Wolfing his meal down, he keeps shooting glances at his host.

Human's wearing sandals and denims cut off at the knees. His calves look strong and slightly tanned, his ass hugged in all the right places by the denim. He seems to be tall, even from Jared's point of view.

He's humming along to the music blaring from his phone while preparing his own food. Jared can smell sandwich condiments, but he's happy with his meat.

After eating his sandwiches on the back porch _(closing the doors right under Jared's muzzle._ _Stupid)_ , Human prepares a cozy-looking bed in a corner, made from blankets and cushions, but Jared decides that the couch looks way more comfortable and inviting.

The man sitting on it and watching TV has _nothing_ to do with his decision, and he slowly makes his way up the seat, huffing a bit when the movement reminds his aching ribs to complain.

He tries another three times, while Human grabs and carries him to his provided spot in the corner. Finally, Jared's victorious, though, and can rest his head and front legs in Human's lap, falling asleep in contentment while being petted behind his ears.

The next morning Jared wakes earlier than his human host.

Soundlessly, he climbs the stairs and finds the bed room where he can see Human sleep in a nice bed, hugging a pillow.

Slowly, he creeps closer, trying to be as stealthy as possible in order not to wake him.

Of course Jared's only watching him for that purpose, so noticing freckles on the bridge of his nose and cheeks, the plump lips, and the dark-blond spikes of his short hair is just secondary. Keeping an eye on Human, Jared's raising an arm and letting his hand change into its human form, so that he can grab the phone on the nightstand.

As soon as his fingers curl around the device, Jared starts retreating. Outside the room, he stands on two legs, changing completely, and tiptoes _(naked)_ down the stairs into the living room.

He dials the number by heart and after the third ring, Matt answers.

Jared claims a hiking accident ( _which is kinda true_ ) and having a sprained ankle prevents him from coming to work the next day. Matt's okay with covering his shift and Jared promises to make it up to him.

He can already feel his body's pull to change into his dragon form, but he needs to return the phone first.

It's with a pang of regret that he puts it back on the nightstand and then cautiously heads back downstairs and leaves through the door. He's going to return to the place where he left his clothes and hole up until he's fully healed before going back home the next night. He'll have to remember, though, to fake a sprained ankle for a few days at work. Humans usually don't heal this quickly.

It's embarassing.

Matt's teasing him, Christian too. Even little Kate's teasing him.

Jared's _not_ in love. He just can't get Human... that guy out of his head. He finds himself staring into space, thinking about incredibly green eyes, stubbled cheeks, and the touch of strong fingers on his scales. He remembers the smell of his after shave; it seems to be popular as he comes across at least three men wearing it each day. It's driving him crazy.

But he's not in love.

Maybe he found his mate. Or more like, a candidate for mating.

Dragons looking for a mate aren't easily satisfied, and since Jared's interested in males, he resigned himself to being alone for a long time. It's not exactly forbidden for two dragons of the same sex to _(have a relationship)_ mate. It's preferred, though, to have couples that are indeed able to procreate, since their numbers are slowly decreasing due to the dragons' low production rate, their vast territories, and their natural propensity for violence. Jared, with his gentle character, has always been the _(black sheep)_ exception to the rule.

He never considered a human mate. He may be in his early twenties _(in human years)_ , but as a dragon, he's already been an adult for almost fifty years _(being alone, being lonely, don't go there)_ . But now that the thought of a human mate has taken root, his mind can't _not_ think about it.

Unfortunately, he doesn't know where the cabin is that the hot guy took him to. Since he was taken by car, sleeping most of the time, he never knew where it was. When he left, he was completely lost, so he first dug a hole into the soft forest soil to hide and heal, then had to steal some shorts from campers. He found the road and hitched a ride, pretending he got lost while running.

Later, he tried to find the lake on a map and spent a whole weekend searching the banks of a lake that was not the one in question.

So, all the daydreams he had about green eyes and stubble where just that – _daydreams._

Until one day, a couple of weeks after Jared's field trip, a tall, green eyed man enters the coffee shop.

Jared's hidden in the kitchen before his brain even has time to process. _Fuck Merlin._

Trying to slow his heartbeat, he peers into the shop floor.

Human's... the hot guy's attention is focused on Kate and Matt working the counter, not on the specials written on the chalkboard above them. If possible, he looks even more gorgeous than Jared remembers – tall and lean, dressed in a casual t-shirt and denims.

Jared's mouth goes dry. _(He looks lickable.)_

He can't hear what the guy says over the noise of his blood rushing in his ears, but Matt's yell is loud enough to get through to him.

“Jared, we need the banana chocolate chips muffins, _pronto!_ ”

 _Ah yes._ That's what he was supposed to do before he got a little distracted.

“Sure,” he croaks, grabbing the nearest plate with muffins and returning to the counter.

Matt's processing Hot Guy's order, putting a muffin on a plate next to a latte, then ringing him up.

Hot Guy takes his plate and mug to a corner table, sitting down with his back to the wall, and that's when Jared has to turn away. He feels hot, as if he could combust not quite so spontaneously.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kate asks under her breath, sounding concerned.

“Yeah... I'm fine,” Jared assures. “It's just hot... in the kitchen.”

“All right,” she says. “You stay here then, I'll make the sandwiches.”

She's gone before Jared can protest. Of course it's not too hot in the kitchen, it's him. He knows he's flushed, that's nothing new. His temperature always runs a bit higher due to his dragon nature, which makes him flush easily.

He also knows that Kate has offered to stay in the kitchen because Matt's now in there, too, and she most likely wants to make out with him in the nook between kitchen and office.

Jared's okay with his coworkers occasionally stealing a couple of minutes, but right now, it means facing Hot Guy alone without bursting into flames – _literally._

Jared serves a customer _(vanilla latte to go)_ , then he's alone with Hot Guy _(his potential mate)_ in the shop.

The first thing Jensen noticed through the shop window was the cute tall boy behind the counter. Unfortunately, he was gone when he entered the coffee shop.

Now he's back on the floor, and Jensen looks him over from his seat in the corner.

Cute Boy is really tall and slender, maybe a few years younger than Jensen, with floppy chestnut hair and the most impressive eyes Jensen has ever seen. They change color whenever Cute Boy moves his head. Jensen can't pin the colors down, but probably there's hazel and blue. Some green.

And gold.

And then Jensen realizes why he can see those eyes so clearly.

Both men are staring into each other's face, their eyes locked.

Cute Boy drops his gaze to the floor first, blushing, and Jensen can't think of anything more adorable than this flustered and flushed young man.

“These muffins are yummy,” he says, the first thing that comes to his mind.

“Uhm... yes. We... uhm, we make them right here, in our kitchen.” The poor guy's obviously nervous, his long fingers toying with the hem of his apron.

“Can I have another one?” Jensen stands, walking over to the register to pay for another banana chocolate chip muffin that he actually doesn’t want.

He actually didn't want to go into the coffee shop either, he just wanted to know who was behind the number that was dialed from his phone a couple of weeks ago, on an early Sunday morning when he was still asleep.

And now that he has another muffin, which really is yummy, he doesn't return to his table. Instead, he asks Jared, according to his name tag, about muffins and all sorts of pastry, just to keep him engaged in a conversation.

Jared's voice is nice, soft and warm.

It's his eyes, though, that throw Jensen a bit off balance because he's sure he knows them. He’s never met Jared before, of that he's certain, but those intriguing eyes – damn, he'd remember those.

That's how Jensen becomes a regular at the Third Street Café.

Even though there's a nice coffee shop and a bakery right next to his office, he comes here every morning when Jared works the morning shift, and in the afternoon when he works until the evening.

It's too busy to share more than a few words in the mornings, but later in the day, there's usually opportunity to have a chat, Jensen sitting at his usual seat in the corner and Jared busying tables.

The first time the thought occurred to Jensen that Jared was maybe collecting the dishes so he could be nearer to Jensen, he also realized that he was crushing hard on the cute boy.

Most likely he's the last one to notice, given the smiles and comments Jared's co-workers throw at him. Also, he can see the fist-bumps they do in the kitchen out of the corner of his eye when he finally, after almost six weeks, plucks up the courage to ask Jared out.

“Perhaps not for a coffee,” Jensen says, a bit unsure of what to suggest.

“No, that would be great,” Jared replies, beaming at him. “I'm very appreciative of caffeine.”

“Great.” Jensen smiles back and feels like the butterflies in his stomach are vomiting rainbows.

Their first date is a picnic in the park on Sunday afternoon. Jared brings coffee and pastries, of course, and Jensen anything else he could think of having for a picnic, and they sit for hours in the sunshine, talking and laughing. Jared gets into a game of tug of war with a cute Australian Shepherd pup, and Jensen has to ward off a whole flock of ducks that try to steal the cinnamon buns.

When the sun starts to set, they relocate to a small Italian restaurant where they have red wine and pasta. The basket with their picnic leftovers gets shoved under the table, and Jensen's now grateful for his sister's stupid gift, or else he would have had to bring the food in a Walmart bag.

They share tiramisu and chocolate cake for dessert, and Jensen orders panna cotta for Jared, just to see those incredible eyes sparkle with joy. It's amazing how much this boy can eat. He doesn't just stuff his face, though, but savors every bite.

When they call it a night, it's almost eleven. Saying goodbye in front of the restaurant, they share a little, innocent kiss, just a touch of lips on lips, but it tastes sweet to Jensen, and promising.

As far as first dates go, this one was better than anything he could have imagined.

Of course there are more dates. Sharing candy at the funfair, eating hot wings and fries in a country bar, making out in the last row of the movies – their relationship's progressing slowly, though Jensen's heart beats faster at the thought of having a relationship at all.

Jared's not a virgin, he already had a boyfriend. Though he still blushes half the time, he makes lewd comments in the most unexpected places, and he's bubbly and outgoing, and sometimes initiates the hottest kissing Jensen's ever experienced.

God, he's so adorable, and Jensen's fallen hard for him.

But he’s taken aback when, after a couple of months, he invites Jared to his cabin for the weekend and Jared starts laughing.

Jared had one boyfriend when he was still very young, not even one hundred and ninety years old.

Patrick was older and more experienced. He taught Jared a lot about sex and pleasure, calling him _baby_ and _little one_. First, Jared was glad he didn't have to fight with him since Patrick seemed to be mellowed with age, until he realized that his boyfriend actually saw him as a baby, as young, easily-led eye candy.

Jared was supposed to be the cute, non-sophisticated boyfriend, designed to confirm Patrick's status.

Jensen on the other hand seems awed every time Jared shares some of the knowledge he amassed over the years, encouraging him to pick up his studies again.

Jared will have to tell him soon that he's not the high school dropout he appears to be, as well as the more obvious things he'll have to confess.

_Oh, by the way, honey, I'm a dragon. Yeah, the mythological kind._

Also, he has to gently break the fact that there can't be a discussion about Jensen bottoming because, _hello, dragon?_

There are ways to groom a human partner into being... _uhm, compatible_ in the right places, but it will take some time.

The opportunity to unveil himself arises when Jensen asks him if he wants to spend the weekend with him.

After months of kissing and making out, letting their relationship grow, Jensen's _(hopefully)_ willing to take a step further – he invites him to his cabin _(with the great view)_ for the weekend, and Jared can't help but laugh.

_The cabin at the lake he tried to find so hard for two days._

But of course, he says yes.

It's not quite Fall yet, but Jared knows they'll start serving Fall themed flavors in the café next week.

The trees by the roadside are still mostly green, and it's warm enough to keep the windows down and let the wind tousle their hairs.

This time, riding shotgun and without being hurt, Jared's able to enjoy the view out of the window. His fingers are entwined with Jensen's and he remembers when his family arrived in America; the first time he saw the vast plains of Texas and then, later, the mountains of Montana. Everything was so much vaster than the overcrowded Polish village where he was born, even the woods were more large-scale.

The world grew smaller as he grew bigger, but he still loves the woods of his adopted homeland.

His thoughts roll through his mind at idle speed, trying to find a way to tell Jensen about the dragon thing, though when they arrive ninety minutes later, he still doesn't know what to say.

The cabin is exactly like he remembers.

“You know,” Jensen says, when Jared's admiring the view from of the living room window, “there's also a guest room if you don't want to share a bed.”

Jared turns; Jensen's standing next to the couch, fingering the hem of his t-shirt and looking uncertain.

Jared can't help grinning. “You think your bed's not big enough for the both of us?”

_Of course it is, he already saw it._

Jensen grins back, relieved, and is in front of him in a heartbeat, cupping Jared's face.

“It's big enough, and I'd be happy to share it the whole weekend,” he says.

They share a kiss that gets heated quickly, promising more soon.

When they finally have to separate to catch their breaths, Jared notices movement out of the corner of his eye.

A glance out of the picture window makes him do a double-take and gasp in surprise.

_No way._

Jensen notices the same thing. “Is that a lizard flying towards the window?”

_Fuck Merlin,_ that's the fucker that Jared fought against a few months ago!

Apparently, he couldn't accept defeat. He must have followed Jared to get his revenge.

“Get down!” Jared yells, pulling Jensen to the floor the moment the window breaks, raining a shower of glass down on them.

“You okay?” he asks, but doesn't wait for a reply.

The other dragon's touching down in the middle of the living room, turning a bit clumsily due to his size. He's huge, almost too big to fit into the small room.

_Fucker wants to fight in Real Size._

The dragons’ size is a well-hidden secret.

Dragons always knew how to impersonate humans, so they were safe among potential enemies; it was only difficult when their bodies demanded their rights and they had to assume their dragon forms to stay healthy. Of course, many dragons despised humans and their ways, and decided to _be_ the colossal flying monsters they were supposed to be.

Those were the first to be killed by humans trying to protect their families and villages.

When the dragons chose to go into hiding, they learned to shrink their gigantic bodies, mimicking giant lizards in an attempt to live inconspicuously among humans. Now when they had to act on their dragon instincts, they could survive in the guise of reptiles.

Nevertheless, sometimes it seemed inevitable to return to their bodies Real Size.

Jared's acutely aware of Jensen on the floor behind him, so perplexed, and wide-eyed, and gorgeous.

 **You just can't take no for an answer now, can you?** Jared asks. He's pissed-off. This is supposed to be a romantic weekend with his boyfriend, instead he's going to destroy said boyfriend's cabin battling this dragon douchebag. **This is my territory, so fuck off.**

The dragon laughs. It's a low rumble reverberating through the room, noticeably making the floorboards shake.

 **I don't want your territory, little one,** he replies. **I want you. And I want him.**

Jared's hackles rise, poking through the skin of his nape.

 **You can't have him. He's mine,** Jared growls.

“Uh, Jared?” Jensen pipes up.

“It's okay, honey. Everything's going to be okay.” Jared hopes it's reassuring. He has to keep his eyes on his opponent, who's ducking his head and raising his rear in clear preparation to strike.

_He can't Breathe, it's too dangerous in the middle of the woods._

Jared just hopes the fucker's not stupid enough to set everything for miles around on fire.

Instead of Breathing, the dragon swipes his tail in a wide arc, threatening to crush Jared in a vicious blow.

He dives behind the remains of the armchair. There's no way he'll survive a fight in his small dragon...

That's when he hears the sickening crunch of human bones hitting a wooden wall.

Horrified, he turns and sees Jensen slumped on the floor where he'd been thrown.

For the longest, most horrible moment he thinks Jensen's dead, _ohgodhe'sdead,_ but then he sees the tiniest movement, hears a low groan.

 **You. Hurt. Him,** he growls, turning back to the fucker, who has the audacity to _snicker._

 **Oh, believe me,** he replies, **I will do more than just hurt him when I'm finished with you.**

 **YOU. HURT. HIM,** Jared yells, and the rage that's consuming him makes him explode.

Literally.

In a burst of heat and fire, his scales break through his skin; his mass, usually contained in a web of will and magic, expands into his Real Size in a heartbeat.

Jared is huge.

His human form may be lean and gangly, but his dragon form is massive. He's the tallest of his family, which are no runts themselves. So when he's Sizing out, it's a majestic sight.

Jared's opponent instinctively flinches.

Jared's livid. Mates are off-limits; you fight the dragon, then you confront the mate in an honorable fight. You don't use them to get to your rival.

He's acutely aware of Jensen’s position in the room. He's keeping him to his back, curling his long, thick tail sideways so he doesn't hurt him accidentally.

The opponent _(he still doesn't know his name, but it doesn't matter)_ is spreading his wings in a bid to look bigger and destroying half of the ceiling in doing so.

His head shoots forward, sharp teeth bared and ready to tear.

Jared uses his thick skull to parry the attack away. _Nice trick, always threw his brothers off, too._

The other advantage to this move is bringing his own teeth near enough to the other dragon's long neck. They dig deeply into the flesh, but hard scales prevent them from tearing out a big chunk. However, Jared manages to pull and push the body through the destroyed outside wall.

There's a reason why dragon duels take place in remote areas - they're _noisy._ Usually, though, they go unnoticed since the fighters are no bigger than glorified lizards.

When they happen to be fighting in Real Size, it's a completely different matter.

The rival's screeching and growling, flailing his wings and tail, and trying to shred Jared's chest with his front claws.

Jared doesn't even notice the scratches, his only thoughts are A) killing his rival; B) protecting his mate, not only from being torn to shreds, but also from being crushed to death by the cabin's debris; and C) ripping some guts out. Not necessarily in that order.

He may be a gentle specimen of dragonkind, but this doesn't mean that he doesn't know when to choose to follow his animalistic urges.

And _boy,_ can he be animalistic!

As soon as both of their gigantic forms are outside the cabin, Jared lets go of his rival's nape and tries to bite into that one spot on the jaws' underside where the head joins the neck. It's the only vulnerable spot on a dragon's body besides the underbelly, and both are never easy to reach in a fight.

Jared's jaws close on empty air. The fucker jerks his head out of the danger zone, then throwing himself against Jared, thus making both of them tumble and roll on the ground. A path of pebbles and dust leads down to the waterfront, and they kick up a dust of cloud.

Whenever he watches dragons fighting in a movie, Jared can hardly stifle a laugh at the stupidity. As if his species would fight in mid-air, Breathing fire! It mostly happens on the ground, with only few maneuvers in flight as they're just too energy-consuming.

The screeching and screaming, though, is usually pretty accurate.

The scratches and bites don't even register to Jared, he's too lost in his need to _kill_ and _protect._ When his back hits the water, though, he's shocked into acknowledging the possibility of drowning. _Fuck Merlin!_

However, it's the fucker's mistake to think he could keep a dragon of Jared's size submerged long enough to drown. Jared just needs to roll over, his teeth and claws dug deeply into flesh and scales, in order to end up sitting on his rival.

It's easy now to dunk the head under water with Jared's big front legs and not let go, while keeping his balance on the other's writhing body.

In the end, it takes only ten minutes for the dragon's struggles to subside completely, and another ten to make sure he's _gonedrowneddead._

With the realization sinking in, Jared lifts his head and screams his misery into the world. This death is futile; if Jared could have been sure the fucker would have accepted his defeat...but he couldn't risk him coming back to hurt Jensen.

 _Jensen!_ He's still in the cabin.

With a sigh, Jared grabs the dead body _(shouldn't be dead, should be alive, stupid fucker)_ and drags it toward the deeper part of the lake, using his wings to lift it slightly. He dumps it where the water's deep enough to cover it completely.

There will be no wake _(fucking doesn't deserve one),_ no mourning family gathering, no cremating the body. The fucker deprived himself of a regular dragon funeral when he chose to go after Jared's mate in Real Size.

Besides, Jared can't leave the corpse where it's bound to be found soon.

Ignoring his own bruises and injuries, he returns to the bank where he changes into his human form and rushes to the cabin.

Most of the living room's outer wall has gone; climbing over rubble and wooden beams, Jared looks for Jensen where he last saw him. And he's still there.

“Jensen!” Jared yells, hurrying to his side as quickly as he can with all the debris in his way.

Jensen's pale and breathing’s shallow, his right leg obviously broken, but he's still alive. _Thank Merlin, he's alive._

“Jensen?” Pulling his unresponsive body into his _(naked)_ lap, Jared starts petting and prodding him to confirm there aren't more injuries. “Jensen, wake up, please!”

Jensen groans. “Five more minutes, Mom,” he slurs, but still opens his eyes. “Oh, hey, Jared.”

Jared's face hurts from the biggest smile he ever displayed, but it soon crumbles when Jensen continues, “You're a dragon.”

 _Ah fuck._ There goes the chance that Jensen's head injury made him forget what he was seeing before he got knocked out.

“I need to get you to a hospital.” _Deflect mode engaged._

“You're a dragon,” Jensen insists.

“You're concussed, Jensen, and your leg is broken. I need to get you to a hospital.”

“You're a fucking huge mythical beast, Jared.” A lazy smile's spreading on Jensen's face, making Jared's heart ache with want.

“I need to dress, Jensen, then I'll get you out of here.”

Reaching for a nearby couch cushion, Jared cautiously puts Jensen down on it and starts looking for his duffel bag. It's still near the door where he dropped it, so he can put on some pants and t-shirt.

“You're naked,” Jensen giggles.

“Oh dear,” Jared sighs. _Looks like there'll be a long hospital stay in Jensen's future._ Jared has no shoes, but that's okay, he just shifts the soles of his feet into scales, protecting them.

“You know,” Jensen continues babbling, “I didn't know you were a dragon.”

“Yeah, that's because I didn't tell you.” Jared's finished dressing and returns to his mate, kneeling next to him.

“But I knew it,” Jensen giggles again. Jared sighs, concussed people are no fun. “I knew I wasn't crazy.”

Jensen looks at Jared, smiling sleepily and looking quite out of it. _No fun maybe, but too cute._

Jared gently shoves his arms under Jensen's back and knees, lifting him in bridal style. “Do you have the car keys?” he asks.

Jensen nods, hooking an arm around Jared's shoulder. “I hope you can drive.”

_Since 1948._

“I'll get you safely to a hospital,” Jared assures.

“Great.” Jensen sighs when Jared has to climb over the chair's remains to reach the door. “My poor place. It will cost a fortune to fix.”

“Don't worry, baby. I'll pay for the repairs.”

“You don't have the money.”

“I do. I'm a dragon, I hoard treasures.”

Raising a leg, Jared kicks in the cabin door as it's the easiest way with his arms full of Jensen.

“You're strong,” Jensen says, eyeing him appreciatively.

“I am.” Jared feels a bit flattered.

“So, you're a dragon,” Jensen says just before they reach the car. “Later, when I'm fit again, can I ride you, Drogon?”

  


  


~fin~

 


End file.
